Development Of An Acupuncture/Microdialysis Needle For P

肌筋膜疼痛与疼痛“触发”点或肌肉块内表现出压痛和异常紧绷的限定区域的形成有关。针灸是释放触发点的另一种方法，从而在许多情况下缓解疼痛和相关的肌肉紧张。虽然这种治疗方法是有效的，但几乎没有科学证据支持治疗后显示的临床缓解。DBEPS设计并开发了一种具有中空杆的针灸针，通过该中空杆可以插入双管微透析器。针的外孔是28 - 30号不锈钢外科钢，一端通过微抛光成斜面成为钝的非切割尖端。10万兆瓦将截止透析器膜连接到30号聚醚醚酮（PEEK）生物相容性管和插入第一管的33号PEEK管，从而形成终止于透析器膜的入口和返回流路。将该装置固定在不锈钢管内，使透析器表面与针尖上的孔齐平。手柄固定在针的另一端，允许操作者以类似于实心针灸针的方式操纵针。研究招募了三组患者，其中两组患有不同程度的肌肉疼痛和紧张，另一组为对照组。由熟练的针灸专家将针灸针插入肩部肌肉，并通过微透析从针尖上采集样品。通过DBEPS Ultramicro Analytical Immunochemistry Resource，使用已建立的技术（毛细管电泳、毛细管电色谱、微离子选择性电化学和微气体传感器）收集并分析样品中的各种分析物，如血气、细胞因子、激素、神经肽和电解质。该项目正在根据IRB批准的方案招募受试者，分析正在进行中。该项目的成果将提供关于针灸过程中以及缓解疼痛过程中肌肉“触发”点放电过程中发生的生物化学和细胞事件的新科学数据。

Myofascial pain is associated with the formation of pain "trigger" points or defined areas within a muscle block that exhibit tenderness and abnormal tightness. Acupuncture is an alternative approach to releasing trigger points, thus relieving pain and the associated muscle tension in many cases. Although this therapeutic approach is efficacious there is little scientific evidence to support the clinical relief shown following treatment. DBEPS designed and developed an acupuncture needle with a hollow stem through which a twin tube microdialyzer could be inserted. The exterior bore of the needle was 28 - 30 gauge stainless surgical steel, with one end beveled into a blunt, non-cutting tip by micro-polishing. A 100,000 m.w. cutoff dialyzer membrane was attached to a 30-gauge poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK) biocompatible tubing and a 33-gauge PEEK tubing inserted into the first tube, thus forming a inlet and return flow-path terminating in the dialyzer membrane. This apparatus was fixed inside the stainless steel tubing so that the dialyzer surface was flush with the hole in the needle tip. A handle was fixed to the other end of the needle allowing the operator to manipulate the needle in a similar manner to a solid acupuncture needle. Three groups of patients, two with various degree of muscle pain and tension plus controls were recruited to the study. The acupuncture needle was inserted in the shoulder muscle by a skilled acupuncture specialist and samples taken, via microdialysis, from the needle tip. The samples were collected and analyzed for a variety of analytes such as blood gases, cytokines, hormones, neuropeptides, and electrolytes by the DBEPS Ultramicro Analytical Immunochemistry Resource, using established techniques (capillary electrophoresis, capillary electrochromatography, micro-ion selective electrochemistry and micro gas sensors). This project is recruiting subjects under an IRB-approved protocol and analyses are ongoing. The outcome from this project will provide new scientific data on the biochemical and cellular events taking place during acupuncture and during the firing of muscle "trigger" points during the alleviation of pain.